The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-07-13
A MISER AND HIS MONEY.
Remarkable Circumstances In the Case of
Old Paine and His Greenbacls.

Remarkable Circumstances In the Case OF
Old Paine anu His Greenbacks.
Once upon time there was over a
third of million in good money that
would pass anywhere at its face value,
and only two men in all the world
knew where il was. for it was hidden,
and only one OF these two knew that it
was money instead of rubbish; and for
nearly score of years it lay I'M
touched in its hiding place; and then
the old man who knew it was money
died without saying anything to any
body about it, and the other man, dis
covering that it was money, was so
honest that he informed the heirs about
1t, and the result was great contests III
the courts. This contest has become
famous, and people speak of it rs the
Paine will fight, the point at issue
being as to whether there is any such
thing as Paine will. The contest is
not yet finished. although the testi-
mony is all in, and the whole story
about that vast sum of money has
never been told, and probably never
will be. 1t has not even been told be-
fore this that for nearly year the
S400 900, which astounded the court,
one day lay in the Garfield National
bank in this city. Everybody has
heard of the old package that looked
like bundle of old newspapers which
Mr.. Charles Chickering found in his
safe, and discovered to be stacks and
stacks of greenbacks. Without wait
ing to count them he hurried off to
Boston and brought a deputatiOn of
the heirs back, and together they eX-
amined the strange package. Once in
the seventeen years Miser Paine had
asked Mr.. Chickering to keep it for
him in his safe had the owner inquired
about it, casually asking Mr.. CHECKER
ing If that bundle was all right. And
Mr.. Chickering had replied that it was
still there, and he wished that Paine
would take it away. When the money
had been counted Mr.. Chickering took
it up to the Garfield bank, and went
into the presidents room, little Office
next to the street entrance. Mr.
Cheney was there, and, when visitors
had withdrawn. Mr.. Chickering said
to him:
" | have package here that would
| like to leave with you for safe keep
ing"
=" Very WE'LL said President Cheney,
guess we can accommodate you"
The package was laid on the desk
| and the gentleman passed several in
consequential remarks about business
and the weather, and then Mr. Chick
ering rose to go. The president OBJ
served that the package ought to be
marked in some way for Identification.
- 1t is marked, - replied Mr.. CHECKER
ing, with his hand on the door knob.
President Cheney looked it over. He
saw nothing but row of figures
scrawled on the newspaper wrapping
without punctuation. as if some one
had been making a rough calculation.
| 1t did not occur to him that they con-
veyed any significance, written as they
were in pencil. He glanced inquir-
ingly ut Mr.. Chickering, and saw that
gentleman look straight at the figures.
Mr.. Cheney scrutiniZed them again.
| This is what he saw: 356700O0.
" You don't mean to say" he eX-
| claimed. in the utmost establishment,
that this package contains 1856, 1902"
4" That's just it in cash. said Mr.
Chickering.
President Cheney called the cashier
in, and, pointing to the package, said:
Mr.. Vail, Mr.. Chickering wants us to
take care of this. and that is what he
says there is in it"
Mr.. Vail looked at the unpunctuated
| figures, glanced up at Mr.. Chickering,
scOwled, looked again at the figures,
| glanced at Mr.. Cheney and then re-
peated the operation. When he finally
persuaded himself that the gentlemen
meant what they said, and the figures
| also, he drew a deep breath, and re-
marked:
well. | should think that Mr..
Chickering had better put his name to
it, in order to identify it in case he
should ever care to call for it,
This sensible step was taken, but Mr..
| Chickering did not call for it until the
day came when he had to produce in
court the property of the deceased
miser. BY that time the $4,000 in
certificates of deposit had been added
to the original package, and it was not
until these were given to Mr.. Cheney
to send through the clearing house
that he knew whose money it was that
| he had in his safe. Il think it makes
Ollt vi TIC lllOol SoNONallAAlllS bNNIllo III
history" said Mr.. Cheney, in CONVEX
sation on the matter. Here was al
most half million dollars in clear
cash, with not a mark of the faintest
character to identify any portion of it
as belonging to anybody other than the
holder of il. Even the certificates of
deposit were so drawn that Paine's
name was not mentioned, and, as they
were Endorsed, anybody under heaven
might have got the money on
them OH presentation. And if Mr..
ChickeriDg had made any disposition
of the funds for his own benefit, no
one ever would have missed them, for
no one knew that they were in eXis-
tence. And it seems grimly satirical
that, after he had kept the money
honestly for twenty years, and then
honestly notified the heirs of its exis-
tence, he should have had to give bonds
in SS25, 900 for its proper disposition.
| When Mr.. Chickering was approached
| by the heirs to become the executor of
the estate, he declined, saying that he
| should have to incumber himself with
bonds, and didn't want the trouble.
But they declared that he should not
| he nut under bonds. They were